Should I shut down my computer at night or not?

Tech StuffBy Tushar mani tiwariOn February 27, 2017

“Should I shut down my computer at night or not?” Well, the answer to this question has its own importance as no one really knows what to do. Let’s find out the mystery or you can say the misconceptions about the question.

The shut-it-down crowd believes that leaving it on and working will wear out components faster and shorten your computer’s life.

The leave-it-on crew believes that repeated shutdowns and startups will wear out components faster and shorten your computer’s life.

So, who is right, and what does it mean for you?

In the old days, it was a bad idea to shut down your computer too often. Older hard drives and computer parts didn’t shut down easily and could be damaged if turned on and off too often. That’s why tech experts said you should only shut down if you need to, like when updating software.

Things changed as the time passed, now your computer parts can last a decade or more no matter what you do. Just keep it in a clean state.

The only exception that may last is regarding the hard drives. Although the hard drives of this generation are way sturdier than early models if it goes out it will go at an instant or after its time span of 3 years.

So what’s the deal? Should I shut down my computer at night or not?

Source: How to geek

It depends on how often you use it.

If you do shut down, remember to do it properly. That means not unplugging the computer randomly or jamming the power button in the middle of working. Interrupting the normal process flow of your system by just plugging it off will leave hard-disk and other sensitive components to halt suddenly. This is one of the main reason for their failure. Shut down from your computer’s on-screen menu whenever you can.

If your computer is on all night, it can work all night. You can leave it downloading files, backing them up or doing routine maintenance. Internal parts of your computer are designed to work for long hours continuously. The more they work, more they will be stable.

Every modern computer has a Sleep mode, Hibernate mode or both. These combine the energy-saving benefits of the shutdown with nearly instant-on startup.

The risks are greater the older your computer is. A traditional hard disk drive, for example, has moving parts, whereas a solid state drive doesn’t and is far more robust as a result. Mechanical parts will fail eventually, and using them constantly will inevitably wear them down. Computers also heat up when they’re on, and heat is the enemy of all components.

Should I shut down my computer at night or not?

Why you should not:

If you use your computer multiple times per day, then it best to leave it on. If you use it for a short span of time let’s say for an hour or two, then turn it off.

Leaving a computer on is less stressful than turning it off and on again and again.

There are background updates, virus scans, or other activities you’d like to occur while you’re away.

Why you should:

One of the reasons that you should shut your computer at night is that it won’t disturb you with noises at night plus it will save electricity.

Computer performance generally benefits from an occasional reboot.

It Won’t Be at Risk from Power Surges and Cuts.

Obviously, the life of your computer/laptop depends upon the conditions in which it works. If you will not care for him, he will not care for you. Always keep it safe from dust and do a proper cleanup right when you start to use it. (or at least once in a week).

Conclusion: Should I shut my computer down at night or not?

“If you use it in the morning and at night, you can leave it on overnight as well. If you use your computer for only a few hours once a day, or less often, turn it off when you are done.”

So, here you have it. It’s all up to you how you use your computer. Now, you decide!